Apparently they were brought up by this sick relative, but still. Telling my other half in the morning that you’ve already booked flights home that evening to do this is just… yeah.
Opinion: Started job but can’t afford to travel to office?
- Thread starter Scam
- Start date
That doesn't change the fact that bereavement leave is not sick relative leave.
If I was the manager, I'd basically be saying that this "bereavement leave" absence is either going to be covered as paid vacation days (if there is any left to use) or it'll be unpaid discretionary leave. As for taking liberties with the two free afternoons being carried over as an extra day in 2024, I'd have put a stop on that as well. "No, the company rule is X and to be taken in 2023 If you need an extra day in early 2024, your options are paid vacation day or unpaid personal leave."
Caporegime
Told ya
. You can see it coming a mile away if you have any hiring experience at all. No point trying to be all liberal and tolerant about it. Back on the market you go and onto the next idiot!
So how on earth has she taken bereavement leave then? What a joke.
Also, is she *working* from another location or *caring for a relative* from another location? I mean sure, you could argue she only needs to care for them outside working hours, but if she needs to fly off at short notice and taking 'bereavement' leave the illness must be serious enough it doesn't fix itself for 8 hours during the day. You can't have it both ways, it's either serious and hence might impact on ability to work, or it isn't. That's not to say that I'd have a problem with people being a bit disrupted by caring for relatives, I mean we've all juggled work with kids being off sick from school and stuff, but generally that will be trusted workers not someone with this track record.
It's becoming toxic because others will wonder how she's getting away with it, and be like "ok if you can just interpret the policies how you like, my ex's goldfish just died so I'm off for a fortnight in Marbella, l8rs!"a few people who know what the newbie has been like were just saying to her "oh jeez, here we go again"
Tell your partner to consider using that in her discussions with HR etc about getting rid of them, make it clear it's not just about dealing with this person but also the wider impact on others in the org. Does HR want this to balloon up into a bigger problem? Also cite all the instances of policy breaches, i.e. not following the process for manager approvals, inappropriate use of bereavement leave etc.
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This is actually super interesting and I'd love to compare more detailed notes (not realistic tbh).Well I wasn't going to keep updating the thread for fear the newbie might find it or something, but seen as you bumped it. It is still ongoing with some additional fun that took place just before Christmas. I can't remember all of the details but according to my other half a few people who know what the newbie has been like were just saying to her "oh jeez, here we go again
Newbie's family-member was very ill just before Christmas so they had to take emergency leave. Newbie was already booked off for most of Christmas (obviously!) and as the timing happened myself and my other half were on leave when news of this broke. So the newbie contacted my other half whilst we were on leave, told her the situation and that she was flying home to be with her family-member. Newbie stated she would be taking the full 10 days bereavement leave* and actually cancelling some of her annual leave to carry over into the new year. Newbie didn't state when they'd be back, but did state they wouldn't be taking their laptop. They also stated the they would use the recently announced two free half-days leave for Christmas (i.e. company came out and said "hey guys have two afternoons off in the run up to Christmas!") by carrying them over to the new year as an extra day**. Newbie also (lol, yes it goes on) extended the period they were off by booking some days as the work-from-another-location***. All of this was told to my girlfriend, not requested.
*This doesn't apply to this family-member according to company policy, also needs manager approval
**These half days were to be used in 2023 in the run up to Christmas, they were not supposed to be carried over or joined into a full day
***Again, the work-from-another location is something that is up to manager's discretion and has to be approved well up the chain first
So yeah. Newbie was due back on the Tues 2nd (from what my girlfriend could figure out with all that) and did not contact my girlfriend once. Not even on the Tues when they decided to work from home instead of coming into the office. My girlfriend saw them on Teams.
Safe to say we all know how this is going to end now. The only thing I could say is to make sure my other half has all of this written down in the minutest detail. With a bereavement I guess that could potentially make things complicated and give the newbie an angle to exploit on their way out...
Just to be clear, the policy was made absolutely clear. My girlfriend would prefer to WFH so it is very front of mind. However, she is an adult at a large company and accepts the policy.
It is almost EXACTLY the playbook a colleague of mine followed. The only difference being, she landed with a bang. Post passing probation, she went to cam off, distant, lots of off time, lots of training code time etc. etc.
I've since learnt that there is an "over employed" subreddit which gives people guidance on how to essentially take two jobs --- and lots of the tips would result in this kind of behaviour.
I eventually let the colleague go because their performance just sucked, but the way they took the news was also out of the over employed playbook.
I wonder if this is not her only role - and the bereavement leave is a cover for one of her other jobs having some kind of workshop or need to go abroad?
Does she have LinkedIN? It was super odd this girl had no online presence at all.
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Soldato
Genius. Bet you could get away with a good few before most companies cotton on lol
Could even combine it with subcontracting I expect, like you work two jobs and you have someone in China doing some of the work for you. I've never really had a job where something like this would be viable, even if I wanted to do it. I guess any job that is fully / near fully remote, doesn't have many meetings and allows you to work largely in isolation it would be a good fit. Like two developer jobs or something.
Have a glance chaps, it is amazing stuff lol. Some lad has 3 remote roles and basically just has move mouse switched on. We know from some members on here they do 3 hrs labour in the morning then play league of legends. You just need a transacting role and some macros 
Soldato
If it wasn't for the access and ****, I could EASILY outsource a lot of my job. Hell, I've already outsourced some report and SOP writing for pennies, just because I hate doing it
Caporegime
So... she been sacked yet?
Associate
lol this is pretty much everything that is wrong with the UK companies at the moment and why wages have taken a dump - an obvious bad apple not being dealt with effectively.
In development these employees are called NNPPs and need removing/relocating as soon as possible due to the impact on the rest of team's output
wiki
In development these employees are called NNPPs and need removing/relocating as soon as possible due to the impact on the rest of team's output
wiki
You mean they just weren't that bothered?
Yep- weren't that bothered, were more concerned with keeping it super private.
Associate
Over employment was quite common during covid.. some people I knew had quiet permanent roles and done some contracting on the side. I also know of some contractors juggling multiple contracts at once as well , and made a fortune for a short period of time.
Near enough impossible to do if you are required to be in the office for one of the roles, everything needs to be done remotely.
For the OP.. I would be very surprised if the newbie has a sick relative , she needs binning off asap.
Fringe benefit being it's easier to evidence being outside IR35 if they have multiple contracts.
A couple of years ago I was leading the work of an offshore team in Mexico and pretty sure one of them was either very lazy or working another job on the side, had too many excuses about power cuts / internet outages and what not plus one call he was on I could hear what sounded like heavy machinery or electric sawing or something in the background. We got rid of him.
edit: For the avoidance of doubt, I had no issue with the other Mexicans so nationality didn't come into it.
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Soldato
I know it's a bit of a tangent but since reading about over employment on this thread I am getting very cynical about certain members of staff where I work. I'd say there's at least one or two that I'd put at 90% chance of doing this, even if it's just gigs on fiverr on the side. Their working hours and when the choose to be in the office are very sporadic and appear rather random from the outside looking in.
. I'd say there's at least one or two that I'd put at 90% chance of doing this, even if it's just gigs on fiverr on the side. Their working hours and when the choose to be in the office are very sporadic and appear rather random from the outside looking in.
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Soldato
Or just clocking in and not giving themselves to work. I could easily work more jobs haha aside from my own **** I do. I just went and hovered the car out and did some shopping.I know it's a bit of a tangent but since reading about over employment on this thread I am getting very cynical about certain members of staff where I work
Might look for a contract on the side
Caporegime
Caporegime
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